Smartphones, tablets and media players have helped to make our mobile existence so much more tolerable - but they all suffer from varying degrees of the same problem. Battery life is always a nagging concern for regular travelers, leading many to carry some form of external portable power source like the Juice Pack Powerstation we reviewed recently. Even though Mophie's external battery pack proved its worth in our tests, we may just have to trade it in for the New Trent iCruiser IMP1000 - which offers over three times the battery capacity in a similar-sized format and claims compatibility with almost every device in the market.
If the 10-hour battery life on your iPad 2 is not enough to make it through that long-haul flight to the other side of the world, or you want to significantly boost the often annoying battery life limitations of some Android smartphones, the IMP1000's 11000mAh capacity could see it being the next vital component in your device carry bag. The portable power source is said to be capable of extending an iPhone 4's up time by as much as 600 percent, and it has enough juice to fully charge an iPad 2.
As you might expect from a Lithium-Ion battery pack with such an enormous capacity, it's not exactly small - but at 4 x 3.75 x 1.125 inches (10 x 9.5 x 3 cm), it still sports pocket-friendly dimensions. There's also a price to pay in the weight department, with the unit tipping the scales at 8 ounces (280 g), but such trifles are far outstripped by its device compatibility. Included adapter tips make it compatible with devices from Motorola, HTC, Blackberry, Samsung, Nintendo and Sony (among others), although it doesn't come shipped with an iDevice cable (but should work with the one that comes with Apple products).
Also included is a retractable USB charge cable, travel-friendly 100 - 240V charger, various adapters and a soft pouch. The unit itself has bright LED capacity and power indicators, and a lifespan of 500 recharge cycles.
The iCruiser IMP1000 is available now and carries a list price of US$139.95, but is currently being offered with a considerable discount at New Trent's online store.
